HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – With the Fourth of July holiday weekend fast approaching, Tampa officials are providing celebration safety tips to residents.
The City of Tampa is ready to bring back Boom by the Bay bigger than before! However, with the anticipated excitement, officials want residents to be safe when participating in the waterfront Independence Day celebration.
Below are safety tips residents should follow:
- Use your smartphone to receive event updates and notices of traffic issues
- Text the word BOOM to 888777. That will sign you up and updates will be sent directly to your phone for all things Boom by the Bay
- Plan your day in advance
- If you know where you’re going to park and your route, it can save you time
- Leave the fireworks to city officials
- Downtown and the Riverwalk will be crowded, so please don’t plan to set off your own fireworks at the event, or anywhere else in the city
- Celebratory gunfire is not only dangerous, but it is also illegal
- Once you arrive, pick a meeting place with friends and/or family so if you become separated, you have a place to meet
- Take a picture of the cross streets where you park, as a reminder when you want to get back to your car many hours later
- If you bring a child, take a picture of your child that day on your smartphone
- That way, if they get lost, you can share the most current picture with law enforcement
- Do not drive under the influence